BIOS

ECS uses a Phoenix AwardBios.


The first page is called Standard CMOS and offers settings to change date/time, HDD and floppy settings.


Advanced BIOS has settings to adjust general BIOS settings like typematic rate and additional bootup-delays. Also you can disable the full screen POST image here, so that you can see the full output of the system startup. On a subpage you can change the order in which the system will try the available devices to boot from.

Memory Timings

In Advanced Chipset Features, DRAM Configuration you find options to change your memory timings settings between Manual, and Auto, which uses the data from the SPD chip on your memory modules.


You can change CAS Latency (tCL), Active-to-Precharge Delay (tRAS), Rad-to-Cas Delay (tRCD), and RAS Precharge Time (tRP), which are the standard timings for memory modules, there are many many more settings to tweak in the Athlon64 memory controller, but they are not listed here. At least the BIOS has settings to change the more expert settings 1/2T Memory Timing, Read Preamble value and Async Latency value.


Also on this page you will find an option to set your memory divider to change the frequency your memory is running at. There are seven different settings which should cover most situations you would like to run your memory in.

Overclocking

The Advanced Chipset Features page is home to the overclocking options in this BIOS. You can increase the CPU FSB up to 400 MHz.


The Athlon64 connects chipset and CPU via the HTT, which runs at a multiple of the FSB. Once you start overclocking your CPU a lot, you should drop that divider, so that the HTT runs in spec and does not limit your clocks. Increasing HTT does not increase performance since the bus will never be saturated, even at the default speed. Like the name says, HT Bus Width lets you change the width at which the HT bus operates.

Unlike the Pentium 4, AMD's processors have a selectable multiplier (only downwards). This allows you to boost performance even more, if your memory can handle the speeds. The option to change the multiplier is located on the Power Management page, which we will cover a bit further down. I don't see how the CPU multiplier is related to power management, it would have been easier to put it on the same page where all the other overclocking related options are.


Increasing CPU Core Voltage is a common means to improve CPU stability when overclocked. ECS offers steps of 0.025V ranging from +25mV to +375mV. The granularity and range is fine, I would have preferred to see absolute values. Unfortunately, undervolting is not possible.


Most memory is more stable when run at a higher voltage. The options range from 2.55V to 3.11V. Listing higher voltages here should have been possible, since the voltage is converted from 3.3V. But up to 3.11V should be ok for most people.

Integrated Peripherals

Integrated Peripherals has options to change, which SATA and IDE ports are activated and to enable/disable USB, Audio, LAN, Floppy and the IEEE1394 interface.


A whole page here is dedicated to configuration of the nForce4's RAID controller.


Under Power Management, you will find the standard options which are usually listed here, plus the option to change the CPU multiplier, which we mentioned above.
Another option here is used to enable or disable AMD Cool&Quiet which reduces heat output and power consumption when the CPU is idle.


PNP/PCI Configurations has no useful options. The option "Init Display First" which is used to select whether a PCI-E or PCI VGA card is used as primary device is located on the page Onboard Device.


The Hardware Monitoring page shows the essential temperatures, CPU fan speeds and the usually monitored voltages. Options to dynamically change fan speeds based on temperature are not available.